Instep guard for safety footwear

ABSTRACT

An improved instep guard for safety footwear to transmit the forces from the instep through the instep guard onto a rigid toe in the safety shoe. The improvement in the instep guard takes the form of the hinge means connecting the instep guard to the toe portion. The hinge means includes hinge tines extending outwardly from the rear of the toe portion, those tines being fastened to the instep guard by fastening means such that a line drawn through each of the fastening means extends in a curved line transversely of the shoe. Furthermore, there are spaces between the hinge tines to allow foreign matter lodged between the instep guard and the instep portion of the shoe to escape. Lastly, the lower portion of the instep guard is so shaped as to created a curved folding line in the hinged tines that is generally paralelled to the line drawn through the fastening means so that there is a continual biasing of the instep guard against the instep portion of the shoe.

United States Patent 1 Gray et al.

[4 1 Oct. 15, 1974 llNSTEP GUARD FOR SAFETY FOOTWEAR [76] Inventors: Byron Everett Gray, 6 Treebrook,

St. Louis, Mo. 63124; Egon F. Clauer, 7l2-l3th St., Wausau, Wis. 54401 [22] Filed: Apr. 1, 1974 [21' Appl. No.: 457,476

Primary Examiner-Patrick D. Lawson Attorney, Agent, or FirmHolman & Stern 5 7 ABSTRACT An improved instep guard for safety footwear to transmit the forces from the instep through the instep guard onto a rigid toe in the safety shoe. The improvement in the instep guard takes the form of the hinge means connecting the instep guard to the toe portion. The hinge means includes hinge tines extending outwardly from the rear of the toe portion, those tines being fastened to the instep guard by fastening means such that a line drawn through each of the fastening means extends in a curved line transversely of the shoe. Furthermore, there are spaces between the hinge tines to allow foreign matter lodged between the instep guard and the instep portion of the shoe to escape. Lastly, the lower portion of' the instep guard is so shaped as to created a curved folding line in the hinged tines that is generally paralelled to the line drawn through the fastening means so that there is a continual biasing of the instep guard against the instep portion of the shoe.

5 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures INSTEP GUARD FOR SAFETY FOOTWEAR BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention is applicable to shoes that incorporate extra reinforcement in the toe area to withstand abnormal impact and compression forces. Shoes of this character are worn by individuals of both sexes and are used most frequently in the heavy manufacturing, mining, logging, construction industries and on any job where foot hazards are encountered. Shoes incorporating this design are utilized to reduce injuries to the feet from moving, falling or rolling objects which may come in contact with the toe area of the shoe.

Much prior work has been done in this area of safety footwear and the instant invention may be considered as an improvement over US. Pat. No. 3,082,553. In that patent, an instep guard is movably connected to the rearward part of a toe portion, however, the connecting means is expensive to manufacture and is outstanding from the profile of the shoe so as to easily get caught on foreign objects such as wire, etc., dependent upon the environment wherein the shoe is used.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The instant invention provides a unique instep guard providing protection for the instep (metatarsal) area of the foot. This instep guard is so designed as to not only cushion the foot but to absorb some of the energy imparted by the moving object. This energy absorption reduces the severity of a possible injury as a direct result of the inherent flexibility of the design and materials used. Inclusion of energy-absorbing cushioning material as an additional integral layer enhances the energy absorption. The instep guard is attached to the safety shoe in a manner that an impact force applied to the instep guard tends to move the shoe, with the included foot, heelward and out from under the impact force while at the same time a vertical component of the impact force would be transferred to the forward part of the instep guard and on through the safety toe reinforcement to the surface on which the shoe is located.

Contrary to prior art, the hinge arrangement attaching the instep guard to the safety shoe is not complicated but simply consists of a series of hinge tines. These tines have a space between each adjacent one giving the advantage of allowing foreign material entrapped between the instep guard and the instep portion of the shoe to escape through these spaces. This foreign material may consist of any one of a number of materials dependent upon the environment where the shoe is used, for example, small particles of molders, sand of the type used in foundries, small particles of metal of the type generated by metal cutting operations etc.

The hinge tines are secured to the instep guard by fastening means in such a way that a line drawn through the center of each of the fastening means would turn out to be a curved line transversely of the shoe. Moreover, the lower edge of the instep guard is curved so that when the instep guard is tilted away from the instep of the shoe, the folding line will be generally parallel to the curvature of the line passing through the centers of the fastening means. In this way, there will be a continual biasing of the instep guard against the instep of the shoe in light of the fact that there is inherent resistance when there is an intent to fold material in a curved line such as above described. The shape of this curved line will, of course, depend. on the specific design of the shoe and the shoe size. The fact that the instep guard will be biased toward the instep of the safety shoe insures that the instep guard will be in proper position should the wearer of the shoe not secure the instep guard in position as will be brought out hereinafter.

The hinge tines may be an extension of the toe cover (integral therewith) or may be stitched to the toe cover in a fashion that will create a smooth surface. The hinge tines provide an accurate positive location for the instep guard, such that it is securely positioned over the rigid portion in the toe of the shoe to impart the downward component of the forces thereto. The instep guard may be attached to the hinge tines by fastening means such as rivets, screws, or other devices of this nature. The material of the instep guard may be metal or plastic, depending upon the specific requirements of the end-use, however, the instep guard is to be made of relatively rigid material. In some instances, a nonconductive and/or a heat-resistant material may be necessary. Types of materials that could be used are PVC, ABS, polycarbonates, orother high-impact plastic formulations, or metals such as steel, aluminum, magnesium, or combinations of either plastic or steel with woven, non-woven, natural or manmade fibers. Furthermore, the instep guard and the toe portion of the shoe may be covered with a variety of materials that will satisfy the functional and aesthetic requirements of the footwear.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a side-elevational view of the improved safety shoe;

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the same safety shoe,

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary side-elevational view of the shoe of FIGS. 1 and 2 illustrating the instep guard in raised position; and

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary longitudinal sectional view through the toe portion of the shoe and the instep guard.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Referring now more particularly to the drawings, the improved safety shoe comprising the present invention includes any work-shoe 10 having a sole 11, heel 12,

and an upper 13 having a toe portion 14 and an instep portion 15. The instep portion is provided with conventional laces 25 and lace-receiving eyelets 27 and/or hooks 27. The illustration is a 6-inch boot, but the invention is not to be restricted solely to this design.

A rigid shield or a guard 16 (FIG. 4) is secured within the toe portion 14 to provide a safety box toeconstruction, the shield 16 being of steel or other high impact-resistant material to provide a protective shield over the toe of the wearer. This shield 16 is similar to those heretofore used in safety shoes. However, a part of the instant invention is how an instep guard 20 is attached to the toe portion 14.

As is shown in the figures, the instep guard 20 in the present invention is frusto-concave in form to fit the contour of the outside surface of an instep portion 15 of the shoe. The lower or forward end of the guard is designed to overlap the rearward portion of the shield 16 (FIG. 4) so. that the force of a blow received by the instep guard will be transmitted to and absorbed by the shield 16, thus minimizing the effect of the blow on the instep portion of the foot of the wearer. The underside of the instep guard is lined with energy-absorbing material 21 such as expanded polyurethane or the like, which is designed to function as a shock-absorber for energy applied to the guard from a blow.

The instep guard 20 of the present invention is formed of a suitable high-impact plastic having strength and hardness combined with lightness in weight, but it is to be understood that it may also be formed of steel, aluminum, wood or the like. The particular material from which the instep guard is constructed is not critical to this invention as any essentially rigid material may be employed, conditioned, of course, that it meets the safety requirements set for the shoe.

The instep guard 20 has a loop 26 adjacent its upward end, the function of which is to hold not only the instep guard but also to allow sufficient movement of the guard so as not to restrict the normal foot movement encountered during walking or kneeling. This loop 26 is secured to the instep portion of the safety shoe by passing the lace 25 therethrough or by any other suitable method.

In the assembly of the instant safety shoe, the instep guard 20 is positioned over the instep portion of the shoe and hinge tines 28 are permanently attached to the instep guard with rivets, bolts or the like through pre-formed or punched holes arranged in a curved line to create stability of the guard to lateral movements and yet allow flexibility for the comfort of the wearer of the shoes. As is seen in FIG. 2, a line 29 drawn through the center portions of the means fastening hinge tines 28 to instep guard form a curved line transversely of the shoe. Moreover, the bottom portion of the instep guard 20 is shaped so that a folding line ,30, which occurs when the instep guard is folded forward will also take the form of a curved line generally parallel to the line 29.

As is seen in FIG. 3, the inventive hinge tines permit the instep guard 20 to be swung from the position shown in FIG. 3 in broken lines where it overlies the shoe instep, to a nearly upright position shown in full lines, wherein it is spaced from the instep and permits to wearer full access to the laces so as to put on or remove the shoe without difficulty. Moreover, because of the curved folding line 30, the instep guard 20 will be continually biased against the instep 15 of the shoe. Still further, the curved alignment of the fastening means in the hinge tines 28 create stability of the instep guard to lateral movement.

When the shoe and instep guard have been assembled as described, regular shoe laces 25 are threaded progressively upwardly through the rows of eyelets 27 and through the aforementioned loop 26 located at the upper portion of the instep guard 20, the laces then being laced around or through the lace hooks or eyelets 27 and tied in the conventional manner. The result is that the instep guard 20 is permanently attached to the shoe at its lower end by means of the hinge tines 28, and is reasonably maintained in the protective position over the instep of the wearer by means of the shoe laces and loop 26. As mentioned before, should the wearer inadvertently forget to place the lace through the loop 26, the biasing effect of the curved folding line 30 would maintain the instep guard 20 in its protective position.

The hinge tines 28 can either be overriding the instep guard 20 as seen, or can be underneath the instep guard 20 (not shown). In either event, the space between the hinge tines 28 allow escape of foreign matter.

The illustrated embodiment of the safety shoe comprising the present invention can be easily and quickly removed from the foot of the wearer merely by untieing and loosening the upper portions of the laces 25 and manually swinging the upper end of the instep guard 20 upwardly and forwardly to the full line position seen in FIG. 3. The lower portions of the laces may then be loosened sufficiently to permit the easy withdrawal of the foot. When loosening the lower portions of the laces, it is not necessary to draw the laces completely through the instep guard loop 26. The result is that once the laces have been laced through the instep guard loop 26 in the present invention, they need never be withdrawn therefrom except to replace the laces, and the proper securement of the instep guard in its protective position over the instep of the wearer is automatically accomplished merely by tightening and tieing the laces in the ordinary manner.

The invention is equally as applicable to work shoes that are not laced, for example, elastic gore type molders boots or engineer type boots. The lace may be used to hold the instep guard 20 securely against the instep but this lace need not also function to close the shoe about the foot. Furthermore, other means such as snaps etc. may be used in conjunction with the instep guard 20 to securely hold it in place.

From the foregoing detailed description it will be seen that the present invention provides a unique safety shoe incorporating an instep guard which, while it is permanently secured to the shoe and eliminates the possibility of the wearer neglecting to use the same, is so designed that it can be temporarily moved to a position where it will not interfere with the normal entry or exit of the foot from the shoe. Moreover, and as pointed out above, in the event the user does not fasten the instep guard loop 26, the design of the guard will nevertheless provide protection of the instep of the wearer.

Although the invention has been described and illustrated in detail, it is understood that this does not delimit the invention. The spirit and scope of this invention is limited only by the langauage of the appended claims.

We claim:

1. In a safety shoe having a sole; an upper having a toe portion united at its edges to the sole and including a shield of rigid material so as to transmit forces applied downwardly on it to the sole, and an instep portion; securing means in the instep portion; and an instep guard of relatively rigid material adapted to fit over the instep portion of the shoe and having its lower forward end overlying the shield in the toe portion towards the rear thereof, the improvement comprising: hinge means taking the form of hinge tines extending outwardly from the rear of said toe portion; fastening means securing said hinge tines to said instep guard such that a line drawn through said fastening means extends in a curved line transversely of the shoe; at least one space between said hinge tines to allow foreign matter lodged between said instep guard and instep portion to escape; and the lower portion of said instep guard being so shaped as to create a folding line in said hinge tines that is curved and generally parallel to the line drawn through the fastening means so that there is a continual biasing of said instep guard against said instep portion.

2. The safety shoe as claimed in claim 1 wherein said hinge tines are integral with said toe portion.

3. The safety shoe as claimed in claim 1 wherein said hinge tines are contained in a separate piece of material which is fastened to said toe portion at the rear thereof.

instep guard in place UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE-j 4 CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No. 3,841,004 Dated October 15L 1974 Inventor) B. Everett Gray, et a1 It is certified that error appears in the above-identified patent and that said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

573] Assignees 1" Bats Shoe Company Belcamp, Maryland Signed and sealed this 31st day of December 1974.

(SEAL) zittest:

MeCOY M. GIBSON JR. C. MARSHALL DAT-IN Attesting Officer Commissioner of Patents 1 FORM PO-IOSO (IO-69) USCOMM'DC GO37G-P69 9 U.S. GOVERNMENY PR NTING OFFICE: "i9 0-366-331, 

1. In a safety shoe having a sole; an upper having a toe portion united at its edges to the sole and including a shield of rigid material so as to transmit forces applied downwardly on it to the sole, and an instep portion; securing means in the instep portion; and an instep guard of relatively rigid material adapted to fit over the instep portion of the shoe and having its lower forward end overlying the shield in the toe portion towards the rear thereof, the improvement comprising: hinge means taking the form of hinge tines extending outwardly from the rear of said toe portion; fastening means securing said hinge tines to said instep guard such that a line drawn through said fastening means extends in a curved line transversely of the shoe; at least one space between said hinge tines to allow foreign matter lodged between said instep guard and instep portion to escape; and the lower portion of said instep guard being so shaped as to create a folding line in said hinge tines that is curved and generally parallel to the line drawn through the fastening means so that there is a continual biasing of said instep guard against said instep portion.
 2. The safety shoe as claimed in claim 1 wherein said hinge tines are integral with said toe portion.
 3. The safety shoe as claimed in claim 1 wherein said hinge tines are contained in a separate piece of material which is fastened to said toe portion at the rear thereof.
 4. The safety shoe as claimed in claim 1 wherein there are at least three hinge tines which overlap said instep guard.
 5. The safety shoe as claimed in claim 1 and further including a loop in the upper portion of said instep guard to co-act with said securing means to secure said instep guard in place. 